Shopkeeper in court over counterfeit school uniforms sales

A SHOPKEEPER who sold counterfeit school uniforms, including some bearing the Crompton House logo, has been ordered to pay more than £7,000.

Mohammed Razaq ignored warnings he needed permission from the schools involved and ended up at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester.

The 52-year-old, of Queens Road, Oldham. pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a 200-hour unpaid work requirement. He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £7,170 plus an £85 victim surcharge.

In August 2017, Oldham Council’s Trading Standards department received a complaint that Razaq, trading as Debonair, Henshaw Street, Oldham was advertising and supplying clothes bearing the Crompton House School and Oldham Academy North logos. Both had been registered as trade marks by the schools.

He had not been authorised by the schools to sell them and both had been registered by the schools as trademarks.

Previously Razaq had been advised by officers on a number of occasions that he had to have consent from each school to sell their uniforms.

Officers visited the shop and seized 154 items, included blazers, shorts and polo shirts, which were suspected of being counterfeit.

During the investigation, it became apparent that Razaq had not obtained permission from either school and was charged with 10 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994.

Helen Lockwood, Deputy Chief Executive of Oldham Council, said: “We expect our traders to operate within the law and any breaches will be fully investigated, and where necessary enforcement action taken.

“Razaq chose to ignore the advice we gave him and therefore had to face the courts will have to accept the penalties imposed.”